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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507929">attached</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nacholibreluvr2006/pseuds/nacholibreluvr2006'>nacholibreluvr2006</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Love Triangles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:40:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507929</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nacholibreluvr2006/pseuds/nacholibreluvr2006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>mason could care less about detective sofía olmos, or so he's trying to convince himself. it kills her to know he doesn't feel the same (or at least he won't admit it out loud). so when she leans on felix hauville, she's shocked to realize there might be a little more to their friendship than what she thought.</p><p>[completely self-indulgent mason x detective x felix love triangle, featuring my detective: sofía olmos.]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Detective/Felix Hauville, Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Female Detective/Felix Hauville, Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>when i first started playing wayhaven i was like 'damn we get an a + n love triangle but no other options for that type of romance with the other characters?' which i totally understand why ! i've just always been fascinated by m and f's dynamic. anyways, this is completely self indulgent and purely because mason and felix are my favorites.</p><p>i'm so excited i get to share the first part of this series! i'm not sure how many parts this is gonna have, but i'm gonna slowly finish it up over time. can't guarantee weekly updates or anything, but i thought i'd go ahead and see if people are as interested in this concept as i am :)</p><p>[part 1 of attached]</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He noticed it before she did.</p><p>Her pulse didn’t jump the same way it did the first dozen times he walked into the room. The blood didn’t rush to her cheeks, or creep up her neck, the crimson flush absent even when he tried his hardest to fluster her. And it normally took next to nothing to get her to turn into a bumbling mess.</p><p>Something was off, and he found himself curious to find out what exactly it was.</p><p>And he hated that.</p><p>He was the opposite of an obsessive person, so it annoyed the hell out of him that he was fixating on her so much.</p><p>Why did he give a fuck about her micro-expressions? Who cares that her pupils didn’t dilate as wide as they used to? Who cares if her breath didn’t hitch as loudly in her throat when he called her sweetheart?</p><p>Not him.</p><p>God, that was a fucking lie, and he knew it. It infuriated him that he couldn’t let it go. That it was nagging at him. That he couldn’t shake the pestering feeling. That her happiness had become a thorn in his side.</p><p>He didn’t know why he showed up to her apartment. He just… did.</p><p>After perching on the roof of the warehouse, blazing through a pack of cigarettes, gazing out at the treetops, comforting silence enveloping his normally overstimulated senses – he still couldn’t shake his thoughts of her.</p><p>Fucking weird, considering that was his ideal night. And it was ruined by the detective. The human that <em> he </em> warned not to get attached.</p><p>Mason was a lot of things, but never a hypocrite. This was new territory for him.</p><p>The heavy rainfall scraped against his skin like shattered glass, the freezing temperature adding an extra layer of sensory torture.</p><p>The rain stained the chest of his grey henley, droplets beading up and sliding off of the faux leather sleeves of his jacket. He retired his real leather jacket when she scrunched her face at it, clearly upset with the ethics of animal products, blah blah blah. He sucked it up and bought a new one – not because he cared. He just didn’t wanna hear her whine.</p><p>He sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time, eager to get inside.</p><p>With a heavier hand than he intended to, he rapped his knuckles across the wood with his right hand, his left arm pressed against the top door frame. </p><p>Sofía opened it, her expression one of genuine confusion. He couldn’t blame her. Usually they coordinated booty calls.</p><p>“Mason? Jesus Christ, it’s 3 a.m… What are you doing here?” She squinted, wiping sleep from her eyes with the crook of her finger.</p><p>“Can’t a guy drop by for a visit?”</p><p>“Depends if it’s business or pleasure.”</p><p>He quirked a brow at her, smirking. “Depends what you want out of me, sweetheart.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure if she intended on him catching the subtle fluttering of her lids as she glanced away, but he did. Usually her defiant eyerolls turned him on, but there was something negative about it that made his chest twinge involuntarily.</p><p>“Come in,” she sighed, pushing the door open, walking towards her kitchen without a second glance.</p><p>She was wearing his favorite pajama shorts that hugged her ass just right, and he couldn’t resist a couple glances at it, ignoring the godawful neon cheetah print pattern on the fabric.</p><p>He stepped inside, kicking the door shut with the back of his boot while he shrugged off his damp jacket, shuddering when the air conditioning hit his damp shirt.</p><p>She was insufferably hot natured, which meant her apartment was always freezing, regardless of the temperature outside.</p><p>He didn’t mind it when they were working up a sweat, but it stung his skin just as much as the active storm did.</p><p>He stopped at the open doorway to the kitchen, watching as she bent down to grab her water filter from the fridge. When she stood straight up, and he noticed the loose tank she wore, he decided why he’d headed over.</p><p>He definitely didn’t head over with the intention of fucking her brains out, but how could he resist when she looked like… that.</p><p>She poured herself a glass and tossed it back, throat pulsing as she gulped it down. And when she tossed the cup into her sink, tongue darting out at her corners to catch stray droplets, he couldn’t hold back.</p><p>He strode over to her, lightning fast, standing directly behind her. He splayed a hand across her stomach, teasing his pinky finger into the waistband of her shorts, satisfied when her breath hitched in her throat.</p><p>Normally he’d have to tug her long thick hair to the side to pepper kisses across her neck, but thankfully she already had it tied up in a messy bun, flyaways pointing to all the places on her neck that he could adorn with marks.</p><p>“Is this really why you’re here?” She asked, clearly annoyed, as he was trailing kisses up the side of her neck.</p><p>He shrugged. “Maybe. Why? Disappointed?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>She was rigid in his grip, pushing his hand away from her stomach. She wheeled on him, expression angry. “What do you want from me, really? Just tell me.”</p><p>“Damn, where’d all of this come from?” He laughed breathily, leaning back against the counter. He tried keeping a casual composure as best as he could, but he was completely taken aback. </p><p>She blew out a huff of air, bracing her arms on the edge of the sink, gripping until her arms shook.</p><p>“Do you like me?”</p><p>He couldn’t help the way his lip curled, like her words left a bad taste in his mouth. He crossed his arms, tilting his head, not saying a word.</p><p>“I thought so,” she sighed deeply. “We really need to talk.”</p><p>“Before or after?” He smirked, cocking his head towards her bedroom. It was so easy to fuck with her, even moreso when she was annoyed.</p><p>“That’s what this is about.”</p><p>He arched a brow, waiting for her to respond. She met his gaze with a firm one of her own, eyes fiery and determined.</p><p>“Look, I’m just not cut out for… this,” she motioned between them. “Whatever it is. I thought I was, but I can’t handle it.”</p><p>“This?”</p><p>“Yes, <em> this</em>. The whole hook-up-but-leave-before-I-wake-up-and-pretend-I-don’t-exist type of shit.”</p><p>Before he could think about it, he shrugged. If deflection was his default, and snark was his defense, shrugging was his signature move.</p><p>“So you really don’t care? LIke at all?” Her lips tightened, chin dimpling as she narrowed her eyes at him.</p><p>So expressive. Why she wore her heart on her sleeve, he’d never understand.</p><p>“Told you not to get attached, sweetheart.”</p><p>Her jaw popped open, so fast that her tongue clacked against the roof of her mouth. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, looking the most angry he’d ever seen her.</p><p>“Why are you so fucking condescending all the time? Jesus Christ, I swear I don’t know why I ever thought sweetheart was endearing in the first place,” she scoffed, hands shaking at her sides.</p><p>Ouch. He’d only meant it to be condescending half of the time. Probably a bad choice of words, but she had to know he was messing with her… right? He shook off the thought. No reason to linger on it.</p><p>She sighed heavily, and it bugged the hell out of him. Why was she sighing at him so much? “I need some space.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”</p><p>“Can you shut the fuck up for two seconds? Seriously, the one time I need you to actually listen to me, you’re giving me snide comments like a child,” she nearly growled at him.</p><p>She’s usually so level headed. Why the hell was she letting her temper get the best of her?</p><p>He clenched his jaw, teeth grinding to keep himself from being quiet. He was gonna let her let it all out without defending himself. Just this once.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking about you way too much and I can’t let this affect my work or my life or…” she trailed off, glancing away for the first time. “Forget it.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes. “If you have something to say, say it.” Okay, maybe one freebie.</p><p>“Nothing I say will get through to you in the first place, so why should I waste my breath?” She shrugged, flailing her hands and letting them slap against her thighs.</p><p>He arched a brow defiantly, keeping his exterior calm, despite how difficult it was to look like he didn’t give a shit while she was hurling her feelings at him.</p><p>“You want me to say it? Okay, fine. I want you more than you want me. And I deserve better than that. You warned me and I should’ve listened, and now I need space,” she held his gaze, the look in her eye unwavering. “I don’t want you to ruin me for other people.”</p><p>His lip curled, betraying his demeanor. He tried masking it by popping a cigarette between his lips.</p><p>“It isn’t your fault, but I’m gonna ruin myself if I keep giving myself hope that I know isn’t there,” she chewed the inside of her lip, using her fingertips to push her bangs out of the way of her glasses.</p><p>She’d deflated a little bit, her anger dissolving into sympathy. God, he hated how clearly he could read her. She couldn’t hold anything back. She was an open book that he had no trouble browsing. He could skim the pages, pick out his favorite passages, and bookmark them, and she was completely oblivious.</p><p>She didn’t even tell him to put out his cigarette.</p><p>He took a long, rebellious drag and blew a stream of smoke out, pursing his lips so it nearly hit her in the face. “That’s it?”</p><p>Her eyes widened, face contorting into an expression of fury, of pain, of exhaustion, that he distinctly remembered from her lowest points. He felt a twinge of guilt, but otherwise didn’t change his physical stance, relaxed and nonchalant.</p><p>Her hand darted out to grab the cigarette, but he’d already flicked the bud into her sink.</p><p>She sighed, eyes glassy, walking out of the kitchen, shouldering past him towards the front door. She opened it, wordlessly pointing outside. “Get out."</p><p>“You sure you don’t want one last round?” He joked, hands shoved into his pockets.</p><p>“As much as I’d love to say yes, I can’t handle my heart breaking again,” she laughed humorlessly, motioning again. “Get out, Mason.”</p><p>What the fuck did she mean, again?</p><p>He stalked out of the apartment, left heel nearly slammed in the door.</p><p>Damn, she was livid. But she’d come around. She was <em> always </em> upset after they hooked up, but she <em> always </em> came back.</p><p>He tried to keep that in mind as he heard the sniffles through the door, trying not to wonder if that was the first time she’d spilled tears over him.</p><p> </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>The angry tears fell before she could even slide the lock closed.</p><p>Why the fuck did she even bring any of that up? She said she was going to wait until she had more of an argument and could form coherent thoughts.</p><p>Her thoughts ran a mile a minute, and she had to get them out somehow. She stumbled back to her room, snatching her phone off of her nightstand and dialing his number before she could chicken out.</p><p>“Hey, Sofía! Why are you up so late –”</p><p>“Mason showed up at my doorstep expecting to sleep with me and I exploded on him,” she said through her soft sobs.</p><p>“Oh, hey, wait, are you crying?”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, but I’ll be okay. I just need to vent,” she lied, scrubbing the back of her hand across her eyes.</p><p>“You don’t sound okay…”</p><p>“I… I’m not feeling so great. I’m starting to regret yelling at him.”</p><p>An ear-splitting cackle rang out through the speaker of her phone. “You’re too nice for your own good, detective.”</p><p>His laugh was enveloping, like sunshine – if you were caught in its rays, you couldn’t help but bask in it. She let herself enjoy it, if only for a moment, before letting her feelings about Mason settle into her bones again.</p><p>“We talked about this, though. You wanted him to see where you were coming from, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I, uh, let my temper get the best of me,” she chewed the inside of her lip, picking at a loose string on the quilt on her bed.</p><p>“So… he probably didn’t listen, huh?”</p><p>“Surprise, surprise,” she muttered, sniffling. “I really wanted this to work out. I don’t know why the hell I expected more.”</p><p>Her voice broke, and she slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her cries.</p><p>“Awe, hey, it’ll be okay! You planning on going back to sleep right now or would you like a handsome distraction?”</p><p>She laughed, rolling her eyes, thankful he couldn’t see her cheeks flush. “No, I’m awake for the day… I think.”</p><p>“Alright, I’m heading over now, and I’m bringing some movies. You want some of the kettle corn I popped earlier? It’s charred but maybe we could pick out some of the good pieces –”</p><p>“I’d love that, Felix.”</p><p> </p><p>––––</p><p> </p><p>If there was one thing Felix couldn’t do, it was stay still.</p><p>Even with the detective’s cheek pressed against his shoulder, lips parted, a serene expression on her soft features, he still tapped his foot incessantly, squirming in place.</p><p><em> C’mon hold it together for a little longer </em> , he thought, drumming his fingers on his leg. <em> Humans only need 8 hours of sleep right? Or was it 7? Maybe 4? Whatever. </em></p><p>He checked the clock on her wall, watching the seconds tick by. And when the second hand hit twelve, he gently shook her, noting how soft the skin of her arms were.</p><p>“Sofía? Hey, it’s pretty late,” he whispered, watching as her brows furrowed, and she cracked open one eyelid, arching her back into a stretch.</p><p>“What time is it?” She croaked.</p><p>“Twelve.”</p><p>She sat up quickly, eyes widening, lines etched into her face from the denim of his jacket. “You stayed here all night?”<br/>
<br/>
“Well, yeah,” He said matter-of-factly. “You fell asleep on my shoulder halfway through the first movie, and I didn’t wanna wake you up, so I just stayed.”</p><p>Her expression was sheepish, and he had no idea why. He really didn’t mind that she cuddled up to him… in fact, he really, really liked it. After what she’d been through the night before, he didn’t blame her for passing out from exhaustion.</p><p>“I’m really sorry for passing out on you like that,” she glanced away, not able to meet his eye.</p><p>“It’s no big deal. I got to binge watch all the Back To The Future movies and lemme just say, kinda makes me wish I would’ve fallen through the portal sooner so I could’ve lived during the eighties. I’m definitely going as Marty for Halloween, by the way,” he nodded contentedly, standing up from the couch.</p><p>She jumped up too, rushing to her kitchen, deftly moving around, whipping together a quick breakfast and coffee, like a well-oiled machine of one. She ripped her hair out of the bun piled on top of her head, shaking her head around and trying to rake her fingers through it simultaneously.</p><p>He caught himself staring at the way her wispy bangs framed her face, her length cascading down her back, the sleek silkiness of her hair practically beckoning for him to reach out and run his own fingers through it.</p><p>“Have you ever celebrated Halloween?” She asked, breaking his trance, as she poured herself a cup of coffee, taking a quick bite of her bagel.</p><p>“No, not like I want to,” he deflated a bit, screwing his lips to the side. “I know I’m a ‘grown up’–” he used air quotes around the word, “– but I wanna go trick or treating.”</p><p>“Wayhaven PD usually teams up with the elementary school and we do a mini-festival in the parking lot, with food, games, costumes, trick or treating… it’s great,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “I’ll definitely take you.”</p><p>His amber eyes brightened even more as a grin stretched across his face. “Really?” His voice rose an octave, and he could barely contain his joy. “You’re the best. Wait, should we do matching costumes? Oh my gosh. There’s so much to plan. It’s so soon!”</p><p>She swallowed her bite of food, holding back a laugh. “It’s fine, Felix. I swear we have time.”</p><p>He scrunched his nose. “Okay, I believe you.”</p><p>“I’ve got to go in a sec. I was supposed to meet Tina downtown today and I’m already late,” she checked the clock on the wall, blowing air upwards at her bangs in frustration.</p><p>“I’m sorry I have to cut this short. I really liked having you over,” she smiled shyly at him, and a little spark ignited in his chest, spreading warmth throughout his limbs, all the way to the tip of his fingers.</p><p>“I liked it, too,” he grinned even wider, stepping close to her.</p><p>Her breath hitched in her throat and she stood frozen in place, coffee cup in hand, shoulders raised.</p><p>“Felix…” she breathed, her eyes fluttering as she trained her gaze on his lips. She involuntarily leaned forward, nearly closing the gap between them.</p><p>“Yeah, Sofía?” he whispered, smile morphing into a near smirk.</p><p>“Do you think it’s really over between us?” She blinked, looking down at the floor.</p><p>His heart ached in his chest, head clearing immediately. <em> Oh God, did I really forget that’s why I came here? I’m supposed to be helping her, not swooping in to sink my teeth into her like some sort of… Felix. Cheap joke. Don’t finish that sentence. </em></p><p>“I really don’t know,” he leaned back, searching her eyes, trying to show how sincere he was. “He’s never been around a girl long enough for them to dump him first.”</p><p>She sighed, the bottom of her mug clinking against the dark linoleum countertop. “Yeah, I figured.”</p><p>“Well, don’t give up now! When he gets in one of his moods, he just needs some time to come around, you know?” He scratched his head, pinching and twisting his curls between his fingers, fiddling with his beanie.</p><p>“I… don’t know if I want him to come around,” she chewed the inside of her lip, pushing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose.</p><p>“You mean that?”</p><p>He must’ve looked surprised, because she sighed and took her glasses off, covering her face with her hands, scrubbing her skin with her palms.</p><p>“I just don’t know what the fuck I want,” she shook her head, bending over to prop her elbows against the counter, hands still over her face. Her voice came out muffled and pained, and he furrowed his brows, closing the distance between them to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders.</p><p>She turned in his grip, burying her face in his chest. “Thank you,” she whispered, her breath tickling the exposed skin of his neck, right above his scarf.</p><p>“Of course,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her, revelling in the warmth of her bare skin.</p><p> </p><p>––––</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. envy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Unit Bravo gets an assignment and Mason becomes hyper aware of something he'd rather not have noticed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you to everybody that's read it so far and enjoyed it !!! i was so nervous posting the first part but everybody was so kind to me about it :') it was definitely bare bones back then but i'm building on an idea now and i'm sooooo excited to flesh out this love triangle !!! i hope you guys enjoy this part !!</p><p>[part 2 of attached]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He strode down the hallway, hands in his pockets to give the allusion that he didn’t give a shit, when he was most definitely on edge. His fingers flicked his lighter open and closed against the twill lining of his pockets, trying to focus on the soft clicking noise it made instead of the swarm of thoughts clouding his conscience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t figure out why he cared so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So what, she didn’t try to contact him the past week? He didn’t give a shit. He had bigger things to worry about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like his job. And the next piece of ass he was going to conquer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had an ample selection of people to choose from, inside the Agency and outside of it. All he had to do was pick his target, turn on a bit of his whorish charm, and – nine times out of ten – they were putty in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was baffling to him that since meeting </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, when he caught someone staring at him, the familiar glimmer of hunger in their eyes, he felt nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sofía had burrowed her way into his subconscious and wouldn’t get the fuck out no matter how many distractions he created for himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rounded the corner, picking up speed to push through the large wooden door leading to the meeting area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite everything, his pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again. Not that he’d admit it, but he was… mildly excited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He plopped onto the cushiony sofa, swivelling so that he could lay back and prop his legs up on the arm rest, folding his arms behind his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I doing the Ferris Bueller pose right?” He grinned, wiggling his ankles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nate sighed, pointing to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, aren’t my new sneakers sick? I wanted the Marty McFly shoes but they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> expensive so Sofia helped me pick a knock off instead,” he beamed, extending his leg towards Nate. “Wanna touch ‘em?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please get your feet off the couch, Felix,” he commanded gently, licking the tip of his finger to flip the worn page of his dense book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awe, you’re no fun. If I put my feet on the ground, who’s gonna see ‘em?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t show-and-tell, Felix. This meeting has a purpose,” Adam said from the corner of the room, standing rigid against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every meeting is show-and-tell if you have something new, like my shoes,” he wiggled his brows, leaning forward to untie and retie his shoes for the hundredth time, trying to get the loops just right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like you had a good time with Sofía yesterday,” Nate murmured, glancing over the cover of his book, a soft smile on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix’s grin stretched wider at the mention of the detective’s name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d had more than a good time with Sofía at the mall. He’d had the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d spent nearly the whole week together, binge watching films to cheer her up. He didn’t really have the attention span to watch movies, but sharing a blanket with her, fingers grazing when they both went for the kettle corn at the same time… it was straight out of a rom-com.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t really get the hype of kettle corn, but people were supposed to eat it to enjoy movies more… right? He could care less about how shitty it tasted as long as he could spend more time with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with me like… this for the past few days, but I really appreciate it,” she smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ve got to make it up to you somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” he mused, screwing his lips to the side of his face. “Nope. I’m just happy we’ve gotten to hang out. You’re always so busy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that like you’re not a whole ass supernatural being that works for a secret agency,” she raised a brow at him, the smile still tugging at her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Touche, touche. I’ll give you that, human,” he said, pushing his brows together like he was trying to sound commanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, please, don’t give me that ‘human’ talk. You know you love our pop culture </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too much to talk down to me like that,” she laughed, pretending to shove his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I really do,” he laughed. “There’s so much I wanna do that I haven’t been able to with all of this ‘lay low’ shit. Sometimes it makes me wish I had a past human life I could remember like Nate or Adam, ya know?” He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, when it clearly was something that passed through his mind often.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shifted on the couch, looking a little uncomfortable. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should’ve just kept that in. There I go again, oversharing when I don’t even know if she cares</span>
  </em>
  <span> –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything I can do to help you with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” His focus was torn away from overthinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’ve got a bucket list, I can try to help you check some things off,” she shrugged, tossing a few pieces of kettle corn into her mouth, crunching softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like, a list of things you wanna do before you die. Things you wanna do before you kick the bucket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Felix trailed off, shrugging. “I don’t know why I’d kick a bucket, but I’m not dying anytime soon… or ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sofía snorted, the sound reverberating off of her apartment walls. “That’s an idiom, Felix.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you don’t have to call me names,” he pouted, brows furrowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An even louder laugh ripped from Sofía, her chest heaving as she cackled. “Felix – Felix, please –” She wiped the tears from her eyes, barely able to catch her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a little upset at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have a chance to learn all the stuff he wanted about humans. Nate really only taught him what he thought was important for Felix to know – boring things, like literature and etiquette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She must’ve noticed him frowning, because her laughter tapered off, looking guilty as soon as she realized he didn’t get it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m sorry. I was just messing with you. You’re the funniest guy I know, seriously. And you don’t even try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile bloomed across his features, a warmth blanketing him, so comforting that he didn’t think the crisp fall wind could make him shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought he was funny. The one thing he was good at without being taught.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” he murmured, looking away from her. Did he sense a blush coming on? Wow, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. But maybe not as of recently, since his cheeks burned around her way more than he’d like to admit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he said, after a brief silence. “I don’t really know where to start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed her brows together, her glasses sliding down her nose, which she pushed back in place with a finger. “Hmm… is there anything from the movies we watched that excited you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flipped through images in his brain, trying to pin down things he was drawn to from the movies they’d binged. His eyes lit up the moment he settled on an idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanna go to the mall, you know, like in Chopping Mall, except we don’t get killed. I’ve never been to one before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened. “Seriously? You’ve never been? Like… ever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “I kinda had to stay inside until I learned, uh, what are they called?” He snapped his fingers, squeezing his eyes shut while he racked his brain for the phrase he couldn’t recall. “Social cues! Yeah I was terrible at that at the beginning. Couldn’t go two seconds without bringing up home and the fact that I’m… ya know.” He gestured to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A vampire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was gonna say devastatingly handsome, but that fits too,” he grinned as she playfully threw a piece of kettle corn at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smile fell a bit. “I’m trying to make up for lost time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got forever, right?” She asked hopefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “Yeah, but when you’ve already missed so much of human history you kinda want to learn more. Nate and Adam and even Mason have cool stories that I can’t even compare to. I want that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pretended not to see her flinch slightly at the mention of Mason. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, Felix, your one job was to distract her. Good work.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’re just gonna have to make our own history, huh?” She said softly, gently placing her hand on his arm, a sweet smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was beautiful. He’d seen the movies – he knew exactly how he was supposed to feel when he saw the person he wanted. And for him, when he looked at her, the fireworks were firing off in the background.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely resisted the urge to reach out and touch her face. Just barely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they finally made it to the mall in the city, after pulling a Ferris Beullers’ (they lied to say they were going downtown to patrol when they were ditching), Felix practically skipped up and down the waxed linoleum flooring, in awe, like a child in a candy shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With comically large eyes, face pressed up against the window, he spotted the Marty McFly-esque sneakers and dragged Sofía inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, the shoes meant a lot to him. A symbol of his favorite day in Wayhaven – well, technically outside of Wayhaven, but Adam didn’t need to know that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I had a great time patrolling.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mason pushed through the doors, barely acknowledging the rest of the team’s presence as he retreated to his usual corner, next to a one person armchair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried drowning out Felix and Nate’s incessant chattering, the noise nagging at him like a toothache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand reflexively reached for his back pocket, nearly about to grab a cigarette from the pack. Much to his annoyance, he was reminded that he’d left them in his room, since she was going to be there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He settled for flicking the lighter again, lips curling into a sneer every time Felix laughed a little too loud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His senses were suffering. His head was getting cloudier and cloudier with each passing second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the fuck was she gonna show?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could leave to retrieve his cigarettes, Sofía shouldered her way through the heavy door, struggling a little beneath the weight, her bangs falling in front of her glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked a little disheveled, like she’d just woken up, but not messy. She was well put together all the time, like every single item she wore was meticulously chosen; she made it look effortless, nevertheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It always made him proud of how quickly he could turn her into a writhing mess, and that he was the only one that saw that side of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bit back a smirk, shifting his weight so his hip propped up against the arm of the chair, expecting her to plop next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when her hazel eyes focused on Felix first, he couldn’t help but grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face lit up, and she rushed over to the sofa, passing Mason and Nate, while keeping her attention focused solely on Felix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wore the shoes!” She grinned, dropping her bag on the floor next to the coffee table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m just breaking them in,” he said, wiggling his feet, still splayed out on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She plopped onto his legs, making Felix laugh out loud. “Hey! Didn’t you tell me not to crease them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scoot over and I won’t,” she giggled as he lifted his legs dramatically one by one, grazing them over her ducked head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t take his eyes off of her face. She was so… happy. A complete 180 from earlier that week. Not that he expected her to come in a blubbering mess but… something wasn’t right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since when did those two get so damn close?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ache in his head dulled, his senses more manageable from the moment she walked in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Nate. Adam. Mason,” she said, waving generally. To any other person who didn’t know Sofía, they’d think she was being friendly. But the millisecond of a pause before she said his name proved she was still upset with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix leaned in to say something, eyes wide with a grin to match, invading personal space like he normally did. It wouldn’t have bothered Mason, if he hadn’t noticed one thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heartbeat sped up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slid his bookmark into the crease, carefully closing the book. He’d heard Rebecca drive up, so she’d walk in any second now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where Nate sat on the love seat in between Felix, Sofía and Mason, he could sense the tension hanging in the air like a shroud smoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mason was nearly seething in his corner, eyes locked on Felix and Sofía like a cat with its back arched, visibly frustrated. Felix was either willfully or blissfully ignorant of Mason’s energy, while Sofía was wrapped in her own bubble with him, quiet laughs exchanged in the tiny space between them, the occasional word echoing off the brick walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam could tell, too. A single glance exchanged between them proved they both knew something was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rebecca pushed her way through the door, quickly surveying the group before addressing everyone and moving on to explain their assignment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve heard rumors of something lurking on the outskirts of Wayhaven, right at the edge of the  town’s limits. Over the next week, you’ll need to split and patrol to confirm if it’s petty gossip, or something more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the last word was out of Rebecca’s mouth, Mason stormed towards the door, opening it with such force that it smacked the wall, cracking the wood, splintering against the brick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sofía flinched, eyes wide. Her posture deflated, like she was finally in a good mood that was ruined by Mason’s explosive behavior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nate grimaced, sensing the atmosphere shift from tense to dismal. Even Felix’s smile had faltered as he stared at the doorway Mason exited through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sofía’s pulse raced as she stared at her lap, absentmindedly twisting her rings around her fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rebecca sighed, cutting through the uncomfortable silence. “Sofía will need someone to accompany her, but the rest of you should be prepared to defend yourselves if needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a relatively laid back assignment compared to what you’re used to, but I don’t want you to let your guards down. As we’ve seen before, anything can happen. You need to be prepared for the worst. Are there any questions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s going with Sofía?” Felix blurted, glancing back and forth between her and Rebecca.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll let you decide amongst yourselves,” she gestured at the remaining Unit Bravo members. “However, Sofía has the last word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In her own way, Rebecca was extending an olive branch, as miniscule as it was. Sofía hadn’t warmed up to her quite yet, but Nate was anxiously hoping he’d see their relationship blossom in his lifetime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rebecca glanced at Sofía, who was still wringing her hands together, half paying attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep me updated,” she nodded curtly, glancing back and forth from Nate and Adam once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Agent Olmos,” Adam said, tipping his chin at her respectfully. As soon as Rebecca was out of the room, Sofía rose from her spot on the sofa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I have to get back to the station. I’ll get in touch with you after I’m off,” she murmured distractedly, tossing her bag over her shoulder and exiting before they could respond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go with Sofía,” Felix volunteered. “She’ll need someone to cheer her up while she’s out there.” He was clearly upset with how things played out, and Nate knew he needed to physically be there for her to comfort her – that’s the way he’d always been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose,” Adam mused, rubbing a thoughtful hand against his chin. “We’ll be close by in case you need anything from us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out for her,” Nate warned gently, nodding towards Felix. “Adam and I will take the West and East borders of Wayhaven. You can take the South, near the entrance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Mason?” Felix asked, looking like he didn’t want to know the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll take the North border. Alone,” Nate nodded. “I won’t tell him that you’re with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam squinted. “I can’t guarantee that I won’t let it slip if he asks me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adam,” Nate sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I refuse to lie. If Mason asks me directly, I will let him know. Otherwise, you’re in the clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix grimaced, pinching the strings at the hem of his scarf between his fingers, tugging at them absentmindedly. “Guess I gotta hope I’m lucky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam snorted. “Luck won’t help us if Mason finds out we kept this from him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sofía jogged down the hallway, shoving out the double doors towards her car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mason stood next to it, puffing a cigarette, arms crossed, looking absolutely volatile. Smoke curled around him like a warning sign, like his boiling blood was pushing steam out of his body. Don’t come closer, it said. She did anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing out here?” She sighed, shifting her purse on her shoulder, keys in hand. She’d slowed a few feet away from him, his back turned to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t answer her, nor look at her, eyes transfixed on the swaying trees on the edge of the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have time for this. I have to get back to the station.” She walked around him, refusing to look at his face, reaching out for the handle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seemed to have a lot of time to waste back there,” he growled, stopping her in her tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously?” She turned towards him, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. “What does that mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna spell it out for you, sweetheart,” he mumbled around the cigarette, pinched between his lips, set in a thin line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the fuck are you acting like this? And back there, too, in front of everybody. What’s your problem?” She asked, craning her neck forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could’ve at least tried to keep that shit to a bare minimum in a meeting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what I’m talking about. You’re not dumb, detective,” he enunciated each syllable of her title, like it was an insult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since when do you care about being ‘respectful’ in meetings?” She air quoted around the word, keys jangling from where they hung off of her thumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why are you berating me right now, when I don’t even know what you think I did wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t do anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, insufferably, shrugging like he wasn’t making her crazy. God, Sofía normally wasn’t an angry type – but she was stubborn, and Mason knew exactly how to push her buttons.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Then why are you acting like a fucking child?” She asked, voice raised. Guilt set in after she heard her voice echo around her. Maybe it wasn’t the best move to argue with Mason when all of Unit Bravo could hear.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He was silent. He took long, deep drags from the cigarette, pinched between his thumb and pointer finger. He let the smoke seep out his nose slowly, clouding his features. He inhaled one last time, flicking the bud onto the ground before he smashed it beneath his boot. He met her eyes, the grey of his iris nearly swirling like the stormy, tornadic clouds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your heartbeat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He said it so low that she could barely understand it herself. Maybe he didn’t want the team to hear. Didn’t want </span>
  <em>
    <span>Felix</span>
  </em>
  <span> to hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I literally can’t control my heartbeat, Mason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It spiked… around him.” His eyes flickered away from her, towards the trees again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you’re mad about?” She huffed in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well, can you stop acting like that? I’m not yours. You made that clear last week,” she rolled her eyes, unlocking her car, opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting like what?” He challenged, nearly growling. He’d completely ignored anything beyond the initial question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like you’re jealous,” she nearly spat, tongue flicking as she enunciated each word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not fucking jealous.” His nose scrunched like he was holding back a snarl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well your tantrum says otherwise. Stop acting like a baby. You’re too old for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes narrowed, and he stepped back, letting her slam her door. He turned and walked in without another glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She revved the engine and peeled away from the warehouse, expecting to feel a sense of triumph in having the last word, but nothing came. Just emptiness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A growl ripped from Mason as he paced around his room towards the door, dragging his laundry basket behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the millionth time, Felix tried pawning his responsibility off onto Mason by planting his harder to wash items at the bottom of his basket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want to learn how to wash a beanie or a scarf, so he pawned it off on the person down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix never pulled this shit with Nate, so why would he try it with Mason? It was beyond him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laundry basket grating on the ground behind him, sending electric shocks up his spine at the volume, Mason gritted his teeth, ready to fling his basket at Felix’s door, fully prepared for the plastic to shatter and rip into their clothes. But it was worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he found the door ajar, the sickeningly bright tones of Felix’s room instantly giving him a headache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh. What the fuck was so great about the color yellow?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam had warned all of them to passcode lock their doors behind him no matter what, since they clearly only relied on themselves for security, being that their home base was in the center of the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mason dug through the basket, flinging shit into the room, strewing the bright socks, beanies, t-shirts, and scarves across the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still had a bone to pick with Felix, but at least he got </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> of his anger out of his system.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right as he was about to leave, something next to the entrance of his room caught his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shoes Sofía bought Felix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crisp, clean, and begging to be tampered with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t mull over the decision for long, grabbing the shoes by their laces and chunking them into his basket, covering them with a pair of jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the basket with the tips of his fingers, hoisting it over his back, strolling back towards his room with a slight pep in his step.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>––––</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>follow me on tumblr @masonscig</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>follow me on tumblr @masonscig</p></blockquote></div></div>
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